Sunday, June 28, 2015
Mist hung over the Picton Harbor like a mystical blanket. All was quiet and calm as the neighboring sailboat slipped from its dockage and pointed its bow towards bigger water.
It was a perfect cool, rainy day for curling up with a good book and a blanket, but we donned raincoats and took a short walk to the Sunday Market.
The Picton market opens at 9 am featuring local farmers, wineries, and vendors from the area, but due to the rain, there were only two vendors, today. One vendor had bakery items, specifically, scones, so ONE of us was THRILLED! The market had only been open for a half hour, but the restaurant was already busy with hungry customers awaiting their breakfasts.
By 10:30 am, lines were untied and Dream Chaser was making her way out of the harbor with the destination of Trenton, ON where the Trent-Seven Waterway begins. Trenton became a village in 1853, although Europeans had begun settling in the area in the 1780's.
We motored through rain or mist most of the day. Dream Chaser followed the canal, turning west at Forester’s Island, and then west and south to the Bay of Quinte
Lunch was served in the upper deck while underway, a lettuce salad (with shrimp, bacon, boiled egg, avocado, onion, tortilla strips, blue cheese crumbles, and a drizzles of ranch dressing). It was a thumbs up, so the chef may make it again.
After five hours of motoring, Dream Chaser was secured at the dock in the Fraser Park Marina in Trenton for the night. The dock attendants were extremely helpful and available for questions.
After checking in at the office, we donned raincoats and walked to town about 1 block away. Being Sunday, almost nothing was open except the Metro grocery, so we picked up a few provisions.
Dinner was brats and pasta on-board, but we've heard that Tomasso's is a great Italian restaurant a few blocks away. The marina sells ice cream from the Kawartha Dairy located in Bobcaygeon. Our flavor choices, tonight...Black Raspberry Thunder, Moose Tracks, and Maple. Mmmmmm!
We are docked with two other AGLCA looper boats. The rain has stopped and the lights on the water are stunning. Time to get rested for the start of another adventure tomorrow morning.
The Trent-Severn Waterway wanders northwest through a combination of lakes marshes, and rivers. It was built between 1858 and 1920 to open the interior and to connect Trenton on Lake Ontario with the Port Severn on Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. This 240 mile long waterway had also been used for military and commercial purposes, back in the day, but now is enjoyed by pleasure craft. We will be lifted to a height of 840 ft. above sea level and travel through 43/44 locks.
It is said that cruising the Trent-Severn Waterway is reminiscent of cruising a canal in Europe or England. The countryside is dotted with picturesque villages, there are little towns to stop and explore, and the locks are located in beautiful park settings. We are excited about the next few weeks.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Our morning started with a nice walk in the misty rain, a stop at the Metro for last minute provisions, and a chat with our looper neighbors, Ron and Karlene Redder, and Robert and Corinne Lombardi with Lucy on Ariel. They will be headed in the same direction.
The Trent-Severn Waterway is comprised of the Trent, Otonabee, Talbot, and Severn Rivers plus, Rice Lake, the Kawartha Lakes, Lake Simcoe, and Lake Couchiching.
Even though they are old and smaller than the locks on the Erie Canal, the Canadian locks are in great shape with rubber-coated cables. We simply slip the boat line around the cable (one at the bow and one at the stern) and take the ride up the lift.
We have become a proficient team in approaching the lock wall and tying up quickly. Mary sets the boat fenders, secures the bow line around the cable in the lock, and monitors the opening of the lock gates. Steve maneuvers Dream Chaser in and out of the locks, secures the stern line in the lock, and starts and stops the engines. We work like a fine tuned machine! Most lock attendants are experienced, but we have had a few inexperienced young lock attendants assist when “locking down” (where the bow is too high for us to reach a cable). They take too long, and the boat moves out of place. Yikes! When you tie up in a lock, you have to move fast to grab the cables, so you avoid drifting into a neighboring boat. Crashing into your neighbor not a good way to meet people or make friends!
“The red right return from the sea and going upstream” rules on the Trent -Severn where we have red on the right and green on the left, at this point. The markers will change at Balsam Lake (Kirkfield Lift Lock) and Port Severn.
The tie ups in the locks change back and forth from starboard side to port side, so Mary will be kept on her toes moving and placing the fenders on the boat.
Lock 1 is about 2 miles from Trenton. It is know as the “greenhorn Lock” because, they see many boaters new to the locking system. It must be entertaining! The greenhorns get more practice at Locks 2-5 and are much less work for the lock attendants as they gain experience. Lock 6, at the small village of Frankford, is a popular stop with a grocery store, many services, and eating spots like the Golden House Restaurant (Chinese buffet) We’ve already had lunch, so we continue motoring on through marshy areas thick with birds and other wildlife.
At Lock 7, the lockmaster was so entertaining that we barely noticed the lock doors opening for our exit. He delivered two novels from their library to Dream Chaser for Mary and pointed out the marvelous ice cream shop, Richard & Donna’s next to the canal. He informed us of Church Keys (a micro brewery-pub), a chocolate outlet, and a bakery at Campbellford, a bit farther ahead on the canal. He was a marvelous PR man for the area.
We didn’t stop at any of the spots along the canal, because we wanted to cover a lot of miles today, and we really didn’t need ice cream, chocolate, or a drink. We continued through the flooded marshlands with cottages scattered along the higher shores.
Murray Marsh is an extensive protected wetlands for fish and migratory waterfowl downstream of Percy Reach.
Kudos to the attendants at Lock 14! They kept the lock open so we could transit (past their posted hours in the evening) and called Lock 15 to have them leave the restroom key for our use. They, also, warned us to exit to the left and watch for the cross flow of water to the hydro plant which might swing us. They reported that minutes ago, a beautiful 54 ft. trawler had prepared to enter the lock from above and got caught in that cross flow. The boat was carried by the current to the side lock wall towards the dam, bounced off the cement wall, and finally straightened into the lock. As he told us this story, we remembered seeing that boat exit out the bottom of the lock, as we waited to transit up. Captain Steve said that he figured the captain and admiral were either new boaters or had a scare because they were frozen at the controls. Now we know why they appeared traumatized!
From Crowe Bay, we followed a narrow channel to Healey Falls, Lock 15. We arrived 6:15 pm which was after locking hours, so we secured Dream Chaser to the lower wall on the blue line, our dockage for tonight.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
We woke to a beautiful morning with sunny skies. Docking below Lock 15 has been the best lock dockage, so far. The docking wall has been closed due to lock construction for the last two years, so marina cruise books haven't included this spot in their writings. Lock 15 is a hidden gem!
During our walk to lock 16 & 17 a few sprinkles started. It must be the 20% change of rain today.
Above Lock 15, there is a perfect place to camp. As we exiting the lock, the campers had packed their tent and were getting into their zodiaks. I wish I’d had a movie camera, because one of the big guys was trying to get in one of the zodiak from the high cement wall. He was too big to maneuver, too stiff to bend, and his legs were too short to reach the zodiak, so he literally fell into the boat. It was hilarious!
We had a wait at Lock 16 due to a boat transiting down, and it began to rain. We transited both 16 & 17 with the two zodiaks. There was a couple in each, and they were doing the entire Trent-Severn Canal. They looked wet and miserable! We offered to take the ladies on our boat to Hastings where the guys could pick them up, but we move too slowly at 7.8 mph. The women were thrilled, but the guys vetoed it.
Then, the heavier rains came and followed us all the way to Hastings. We move from the lowlands of mud and weeds to the clear waters held by granite and limestone bedrock. We are seeing numerous little islands with room for one cottage. Along the higher shores are many cottages and some beautiful houses.
We had a great lunch at Banjo’s, a grill across the river while we debated whether or not to continue on. We were hesitating, because thunderstorms had been predicted for the afternoon and evening, and it was 40 miles to Peterborough. At 4:15 pm, we made the decision to push for Peterborough which is 40 miles away.
We passed Gore’s Landing which was named for an Irishman who settled in the area in 1845. The village has double-veranda frame houses and is a haven for artists and writers. St. George’s-on-the-hill is a beautiful Anglican Church. Harris Boat Works, in operation since 1947, has produced many handmade canoes and mahogany runabouts over the years.
We crossed Rice Lake, a large shallow lake famous for walleye, muskie, and bass. Next, we entered the narrow winding river of the Otonabee River which wound through marsh and the Hiawatha Indian Preserve.
We followed the river twisting and turning to Peterborough. Dream Chaser slipped up to the dock wall below Lock 19 and was secured by 9 pm. Heavy darkness fell 10 minutes later. Whew! It had been a long day, and boater’s midnight is 9 pm, so we are ready for a good night's sleep!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
We woke to 60 degrees and clouds with a predicted high of 70. Dream Chaser had a bit of a rock and roll all night docked below Lock 19 due to the proximity of the dam and a heavy current.
After a quick breakfast and a bit of prep, we were ready for the day. While we were waiting for 9 am. lock opening, Steve Cook, a resident of Peterborough, who had been tracking us on the loop via the blog, appeared on the dock. He guessed that we would be dock below the lock, and he found us. Steve rode through the lock, and we will be meeting him and his wife tonight for dinner.
Dream Chaser was the first boat to pass through Lock 19, this morning, and our lock attendant was in a celebratory mood. We received a warm greeting, two Canadian flags and a wealth of information on future areas to explore along our route.
On our way to the docking wall below Lock 20, we received great news that there was room at the Peterborough Marina (we were on a waiting list for dockage), so we will be docking for two nights at Del Crary Park in the heart of Peterborough. Great News! The popular marina and park is on Little Lake which has a fountain in the middle which spouts 250 ft of water in the air. Docking was a bit tricky due to winds and currents, but Captain Steve slipped Dream Chaser into her spot with some assistance and a little muscle from marina staff.
Peterborough is gearing up for a celebration because, today is Canada Day! Originally known as Dominion Day, July 1st commemorates the day the Canadian Federal Government was created in 1867. Four hundred years ago (1615), Samuel de Champlain began exploring Ontario, established the fur trade, and laid ground work for the first European settlement. It is, also, the 50th anniversary of their National Flag.
By 10:30 am, things were happening in Del Crary Park only about 150 ft. from Dream Chaser. The main stage was busy with performances and demonstrations while dozens of tents had vendors selling a wonderful variety of foods, crafts, jewelry, and clothing. Many tents had fun activities for children. Our lunch was delicious Russian cabbage rolls, perogies, and curry chicken.
About 5 pm, The AGLCA harbor hosts in Peterborough, Don Bennett and Freya Petersen on The Last Resort, provided docktails, a variety of mouth watering bites, specifically for the AGLCA loopers and marina friends.
So great seeing familiar faces and also meeting new loopers! Steve and Kristine Cook, possible new loopers, joined the party, and from there we headed to dinner. We are always happy to meet prospective loopers, to discuss the loop, and answer any questions.
We arrived back at Dream Chaser as the band scheduled for the Summer MusicFest in the park was playing its first song. The band, “Hotel California”, is a re-creation of the famous “Eagles”, and they were great! We joined the crowd of 10,000+ and could barely see the band from the edge of the crowd. Just then, a young lady, next to us, said she had extra tickets from one of the local business and would we like them. Slightly shocked, we followed her into the preferred VIP seating area which was fenced in with rows of chairs. We ended up in the FIFTH ROW right in front of the stage! It doesn’t get any better! The band (very talented) was the closest to the original that we have ever heard.
As darkness fell, the band played “Desperado”, and thousands of lights (from cell phones) waved in the air above the crowd like thousands of little fireflies. It was a fabulous concert! From there, we made our way to the upper helm on Dream Chaser and watched the Peterborough Canada Day fireworks display over Little Lake. It was impressive! A perfect end to a marvelous day!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Ah, glorious, sunshine streaming into the boat! Presently, we have temps in the 60's, but 70’s are promised.
By 8:30 am, we are off on our morning walk to Lock 21and the nearby Lift Lock Visitor's Center. Our short-cut to the lock took us over the railroad track bridge. Luckily, it isn't frequently used!
By 9 am, boats will be beginning to transit the locks, and we want to see the lift in action.
Groups and interesting characters were gathering by the canal to watch the boats headed for Lock 21.
Lock 21 was built between 1896 and 1904 and was one of the world's largest concrete structures, at that time. It contained 26,000 cubic yards of concrete without a single piece of reinforcing steel. The steel chambers and hydraulic rams were completed in 1904. Aluminum gates were added mid 1960. Only eight lift locks of this type have been built on the world.
Lock 21 is a hydraulic lift lock which raises and lowers boats in two water-filled chambers a distance of 65 ft. It operates on a balance principle. A constant water pressure supports each ram through connecting pipes below. To raise boats, the upper chamber is over balanced by taking on an extra 30 cm of water. The heavier upper chamber travels downward forcing the opposite chamber to travel an equal distance upward. The chambers have giant hinged gates at both ends.
Be sure to stop by the Peterborough Lift Lock Visitors Center at Lock 21 to visit the exhibits and watch the films on Lock 21 and the Trent-Severn Waterway. Fascinating!
With our curiosity regarding Lock 21 satisfied, we "footed it" back towards the town of Peterborough. We walked George St., took a right at Catherine St. and found a photo studio to copy pictures off my camera card to DVD's and, also, a great lunch spot.
Two Dishes Cook Shop prepares all their own food by hand using quality ingredients. We decided on breakfast with eggs, sausage, pork loin, home fries, corn cakes, and toast. The home fries were fried with onion, and included corn, peas, and halved grape tomatoes. The homemade ketchup was soooo good, I'm tempted to start making my own!
The next stop was the Canadian Canoe Museum (with holdings of more tan 600 watercraft) with more than 100 canoes and kayaks on display. The museum explores the significance of the canoe to the people of Canada throughout the years.
At 5:30 pm, Steve and Kristine Cook stopped by the boat and were so kind to drive us around on errands for provisions. With our list completed, we returned to the Lighthouse Restaurant at the Peterborough Marina and discussed boating and "looping" over dinner.
Tonight the temps are to dip into the 40's...BRRRR!
Friday, July 3, 2015
Today we are scheduled to leave Peterborough. It has been a wonderful stay at the Peterborough Marina. The marina is perfectly situated with easy access to services, restaurants, shops, and Kawartha ice cream (on site). The “head man”, Ben, and his marina attendants are have gone out of their way to make our stay one of the best. Bottom line...It's a terrific marina! Freya Petersen and Donald Bennet, our harbor hosts, have been amazing making everyone feel welcome and going way beyond with special touches. They hosted the docktails on Canada Day, are willing to help with anything, and gave all the loopers cute “Canada” moose key rings. Celebrating Canada Day in Peterborough was exciting with the MusicFest and parades. We enjoyed spending time with Steve and Kristine Cook who are “soon-to-be loopers”. They generously drove us around for provisions. Peterborough is definitely one of our favorite spots on the loop.
Lock 21 carries boats in one of two “pans” (which are side by side) to the next level in the Otonabee River. Each pan weighs 1700 tons including the water. Your boat enters the pan on one side, the gate closes, one pan rises and the other descends by water filling the upper pan. Like a giant seesaw with the heavier one lifting the lighter one up. At the top of the lift, you overlook Peterborough. An amazing experience, even if you have a fear of heights!
After a quick chat with Ed, the lockmaster, Dream Chaser exited Lock 21 and continued on passing by Trent University and on to Locks 22-25 (Nassau Mills, Otonabee, Doura, and Sawer Creek). These locks are quiet, closely spaced, and somewhat secluded (7 locks in 10 miles which will take five hours).
Lock 23, completed in 1896, is an interesting lock in the fact that it was the first cement lock in North America. Prior to this all locks had rock walls.
Along the canal, we saw a family at a very cool camping site. We had read about Tentik camping (a wood base and canvas roof) at the Lock 21 museum and took a picture of the poster (see below). What a great idea!
At 12:30 pm, we reached Lakefield, ON. The cruising guidebooks mention that Lakefield is a great spot to stretch your legs and admire the beautiful old buildings in town, so we did and decided to stay overnight for two nights. Actually, the town is having a Jazz/Art/Craft Festival on July 4th. So, we joined five other boats already tied to the wall above Lock 26 for tonight. Tomorrow night, we will be in the marina nearer the venue. The attendants at Lock 26 warned us that once you have a spot for the weekend, stay there. The canal gets very busy and dockage gets hard to find.
It was a short walk down a tree lined lane into town from the lock, and along the path you pass a small outdoor book case for book exchanges. Great idea!
Lakefield has a beautiful wharf which is our destination on our evening walk. We stopped by Stuff’d, the extremely busy ice cream shop in town, for Kawartha ice cream to continue Steve's birthday celebration. Stuff'd had about half of Kawartha's 45 flavors, so it was a difficult decision, but Salted Carmel Truffle and Bear Claws (chocolate with caramel and cashews) won out. Kawartha Dairy located in Bobcaygeon, has been around for 75 years and owned by the same family. I wonder how many people have taken on the challenge of trying every flavor ice cream Kawartha produces?
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Does it get any better?
This morning, we moved from the lock wall to the marina next to the Jazz/Art/Craft Festival in Lakefield. Temps in the mid 70's, clear, sunny skies, and no rain in sight. What a day!
At 10 am, the little boutiques opened with jewelry, pottery, paintings, woven baskets, etc. At 11 am, the Peterborough Jazz & Blues Workshop started performing as the people were lining up to purchase foods from BBQ to healthy alternatives and lemonades to beer. Something for everyone! Sitting by the marina- what a great place to boat and people watch!
This afternoon, we wandered through the festival grounds, listened to the music, and enjoyed BBQ at one of the vendors. Supposedly, 1300 people will be visiting this jazz festival, today. Back on Dream Chaser, we relaxed, and enjoyed the music from the Toronto Jazz Orchestra, Barbara Lica, and Carpe Noctem. The beach across the harbor was full of people.
All day long, many people having been walking the docks of the marina, and when they pass Dream Chaser, they want to hear our story. Some people have no idea where St. Paul, MN is located (which is printed on the stern of the boat) and are surprised to know how far we have traveled. They are intrigued with our story and how we are traveling the loop. There are always lots of questions. The funniest question is..."Were you worried about pirates along the way?"
We enjoyed dinner on Dream Chaser while listening to the Ethan Ardelli Quartet and watched the sun set while the big ticket group, Funk It Up, performed.
Tomorrow, we are on our way to Bobcaygeon, ON and the next segment of our journey.
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